James' Father
by Blackie Shell Paws and Furface
Summary: CHERUB has located James' father. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Prologue

_I don't own CHERUB in any way._

Prologue

James took off his shoes and lay down on his bed. He was absolutely shattered: it had been a long mission.

He was just dosing off when someone knocked hard on his door.

"James, are you awake?"

"Yeah." He mumbled, recognising the voice as Zara's.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." He groaned, sitting up. He rarely received visits from the chairman, so either he was in huge trouble, or he was in for a congratulations.

"Oh, were you trying to sleep? I'm sorry, but I thought you would want to hear this." She smiled sympathetically, "We've located your father."

* * *

_**It's really short, I know, but I just wanted to see if anyone would read it, and I've decided that the story won't be too long anyway. Well, I sometimes change my mind, but you know what I mean ;)**_

_**So please review, and as you can see, reading it isn't that hard either, so read it too ;)**_

_**Furface x**_


	2. The Decision

_I don't own CHERUB in any way._

Chapter 1

"Wait, what?" James asked, disbelieving.

"We have located your father, James, you could see him today, or tomorrow, but-"

"But what? Why is there always a catch? Why can't I just see my father?"

"James, don't get all upset, please, think about this." Zara sat on the bed next to him.

"OK."

"Deep breath." He nodded and took a few deep breaths, "Don't you think he would wonder where you were during the week - during your missions?"

"Oh."

"You would have to leave CHERUB, and we'd have to teach you a new life story."

"Can't my father know?"

"No. James, you know this, CHERUB is a secret organisation."

"When do I have to make my decision?"

"Whenever you want. We haven't organised anything yet. If you want, you can visit him, and then decide who you want to stay with."

"OK."

"Maybe you should rest a little. Come see me when your ready, I'll be in my office." She got up and put her hand on his shoulder, "We'll support your decision, whatever it is, I know this is hard,

but I'm here to talk to if you want." Then she turned around and left James alone with a turmoil of thoughts.

* * *

_**Do you like it? Yes? No? Any questions? Ask/tell me!**_

_**Once again, it's short, but I've decided that it's going to be a short story so...Yeah...**_

_**Thanks for reading & reviewing! (or just reading if you must)**_

_**Furface x  
**_


	3. Visit

Chapter 2: Visit

Zara heard a soft knock on her door and looked up.

"Come in." She called.

The door opened slowly, and James walked in. He stood there silently for a few seconds before speaking.

"I've decided that I want to visit him." He let out the breath he had been holding.

"That's great!" Zara smiled, "When do you want this visit? Today?"

For once, James was lost for words. He had hoped that the visit would not be for at least another week, so that he could give himself the mental preparation. He hadn't ever met his father, and he had to ready himself in case he wasn't wanted, or in case he was…

"Urrm… I…"

"So today then? No problem." Zara interrupted him before he could have second thoughts, "I'll ring right now to see if he's home. If he's not, then I'll take you to his work. I'll meet you in your room, go get yourself ready." James nodded numbly and made his way back to his room.

Trying to keep his calm, he got changed out of his CHERUB uniform, and into some jeans and a grey Diesel t-shirt.

He pulled on his shoes and stood there, unsure of what to do, until someone came in.

"Hey, James." He heard someone say. But the words just didn't make sense at first, and it took him a while to realise it was Lauren, and that she was speaking to him.

"Are you OK? Zara told me I should come here…" When James didn't reply, she added, "Aren't you gonna shout at me for not knocking?" She sighed as her brother shook his head. There were a few moments of silence, "I need to go soon, is there anything you want to tell me?" She wasn't expecting an answer, which is why she was so surprised when she heard him speak.

"Would you be angry if I left CHERUB?" James asked suddenly, looking up.

"No, of course not. But I would be if I wasn't allowed to see you... Is this why Zara wanted me to come?" Lauren asked steadily.

"Yeah... It's because they've found my father."

"Look, James, I'm your sister, why would I be angry? Go, live with your father, I just hope he's better than mine. Now, I need to go to Maths, but I'll see you later, 'kay?"

"Sure." James waved as his sister turned around to leave, before adding, "Thanks," A little awkwardly.

"Are you ready?" Zara asked.

"Yeah." He had some money, his phone, and a small knife, just in case. He had also memorised his fake life story.

The engine purred as the car began to move, and James couldn't help but wonder if this would be one of the last times that he saw the CHERUB campus, which he had grown up in.

"He might be in the middle of a lesson, but the headmaster has allowed you to interrupt."

"Aren't you coming with me?"

"Look, I'll be in the car park if anything goes wrong. Would you really want me there anyway? This is your _father_ that your meeting."

"I guess…"

There was nothing more to say, so James turned on his iPod to a dangerously high volume and drowned himself in the music.

One of his earphones was pulled out of his ear.

"We're there."

He turned off his iPod and shoved it into his pocket before opening the door.

They were parked by a school. There was a sign at the front of the car park with the name of the school, but it was facing the other way and James didn't feel like talking, so he didn't ask.

He followed Zara to the Reception desk, where she asked for 'James Duncan.'

The receptionist pointed down the corridor and told them to go left, and that it was the second classroom on the right.

James turned to go.

"I can't do this." He breathed. Zara walked to him slowly, and facing him, she put her hand on his shoulder.

"You can, James. This is your father. Imagine if you missed the opportunity, you would regret it all your life. If you don't see him now, then if you come back, you'll hesitate every time, and you'll never meet him." She bit her quivering lip and added, "I wish I had had the chance to meet mine." A tear fell down her cheek and onto the floor.

"OK. Wish me luck, I'm going in." He announced as to avoid the awkward situation, and with that, he walked down the corridor.

* * *

**_Here's some more :) Not loads, I know, I know, sorry :( But I'm more than halfway through the next chapter, so that might go up today :)_**

**_Thanks for reading and reviewing! Means a lot to me :)_**

**_Furface xx  
_**


	4. James Duncan

Chapter 3: James Duncan

'Down the corridor, to the left, second classroom on the right,' James recited to himself as he made his way to the answer of one of his life's greatest mysteries: His father.

He had no clue what his father was like. Would he be short, fat and bald? Tall, thin and extremely hairy? Would he be a horrible man, a killjoy, or a jovial man who loved to celebrate and give presents to others?

Would he have brown or blonde hair? Would he have green or blue eyes?

Now that meeting his father was actually within James' grasp, he wasn't nervous.

Finally, he reached the classroom in which he would find his father. The door had a small glass window, but it was translucent, so the boy couldn't see much more than a few blobs through it. He rested his hand on the doorknob, unsure of what to do.

Would his father even want to see him?

Although he was 15, he felt like a child again. He wished that he had his mother with him to open the door and speak to his father, to interrupt the lesson for him.

A teacher walking by saw him and stopped.

"Aren't you meant to be in a lesson?" The lady asked in a strict voice.

"I'm... I'm here to visit James Duncan." He said so quietly that his voice was barely audible.

"Oh! Gosh! You must be James Choke! Go right in, honey." Her voice instantly became warmer. She saw his hand resting on the doorknob and added, "There's nothing to be worried about, I promise. He's always wanted to meet you, you have no idea how happy he was when he heard you were coming."

"Really?" His dad _had always wanted _to meet him? "I guess I'll go in then." Grinning, James turned the doorknob.

"Good luck." The teacher smiled before she began walking to the staff room.

Slowly, James opened the door.

The room was full of desks and chairs. Desks occupied with students, who were all staring at him with looks of curiousity.

At the front of the room, in front of James, was the teacher, who was also staring at him. But the teacher's eyes were sparkling with tears, and were full of warmth.

"James?" The man asked in a strangeled voice.

"Dad?" but he only managed to mouth it, so unable to reply, the boy nodded.

The teacher had blonde hair which had obviously been combed, but was still slightly messier than it should have been; he was tall, obviously athletic, but he clearly didn't go to the gym, because he wasn't particularly muscly. The only difference was that he had green eyes, as opposed to blue eyes.

Apart from that, he was like an older version of James.

"Class, I'm not going to be gone for long, but if I am, I will be sending a cover teacher. No messing about please." He managed.

For once, the class was completely silent.

James' father motion for his son to leave the room before following him out and closing the door behind him.

Once outside, he kept walking until he reached an empty classroom.

"In here." The man choked.

Once inside, James leaned against a desk.

"Dad?" He asked, his steady gaze seeming to bore into the older James' skull.

"I think so. Gwen Choke was your mother?"

"Yeah." James bit his tongue to stop himself from crying. His father didn't seem to hold the ability of stopping tears though, and they flowed freely down his face as he came to embrace his son.

They stood there awkwardly for a second or two before James lifted his arms to hug his father back, resting his head on his father's shoulder (they were both the same height).

Finally, his father let go of him and stepped back.

"What happened to Gwen?" He asked, suddenly remembering that she hadn't replied to his letters.

"She died when I was eleven."

"I... really?" His father exclaimed, for he hadn't even considered this, "Gwen's... dead?"

"I'm sorry."

"No... No, no, no... _I'm_ sorry, James. You've been growing up almost as an orphan... no one was there for you, which is my fault. I didn't even give you a second thought...I'm so sorry..."

"Dad... Is it OK if I call you Dad?" James waited for his father to nod before carrying on, "I'm just glad that I could meet you..."

There was an awkward silence.

"So...urm...What do you teach?"

"Maths."James Duncan smiled, "Gwen always used to tell me how good you were at maths, is that true?"

"Well, my school is planning to let me take my maths A levels a year early."

"So you'll be doing advanced maths too?"

"Definitely."

"OK, let's see how good you are, then. So... 23 multiplied by 132."

The 15 year old boy paused for a moment before saying '3,036.'

"Wow, Gwen was right. Half the students in my Y_13_ group wouldn't have managed that one so fast!"

They spent the next 20 minutes quizzing each other at maths, and soon, the questions were along the line of '4537 multiplied by 214,' yet James Duncan still managed them.

"970, 918."

"How did you _get _that?" James asked his father, gobsmacked.

"I'm a maths teacher, what can I say?" The other James replied boastfully, but still smiling. Suddenly a bell rang, "The next lesson is starting now."

And sure enough, you could hear the students going to their new classrooms.

A group of students burst into the classroom soon after, but then stopped at the door once they had seen the two James'.

"I need to go now." The young James said quickly, turning towards the doors.

His father put his hand on his shoulder and turned him back.

"Will I ever see you again? Why do you have to go anyway? You could stay with me, my wife and I, we have a spare room. You could live with your half-sister."

"I don't know. I have to. And, I'll think about it. Seriously." The look of sincerity in his eyes would have shocked the instructors at CHERUB, who knew him as a bit of a troublemaker and had probably never seen him so serious.

"Please, I would hate to have you disappear again." His father pleaded.

"I'll try. But, moving away is also hard: I've got friends near my current house, and my half-sister, Lauren."

"Just... Phone back please, whatever your decision."

"I will." James promised before hugging his father and exiting the room, pushing past the confused students.

* * *

_***CREEPY VOICE* So what will James choose? His father or CHERUB? Find out in the **_**next_ episode! *CREEPY VOICE*  
_**

**_Don't you hate it when that happens in a series? Cliffhangers really annoy me... So I'm sorry, truly :(  
_**

**_But I promised you 2 chapters, and TA DAH! They have come! So does that make up for it?  
_**

**_Tell me what you like/dislike. I know I'm not a great writer, but I still hope that this story is somewhat interesting... :)_**

**_So thanks for reading (and hopefully reviewing.)_**

**_Furface x  
_**


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